This invention relates generally to the field of telephony, and more particularly to an improved tool for inserting the free ends of wire conducts into resilient insulation displacement type terminals normally mounted upon connector blocks supported in turn, upon telephone main office frames.
The use of insulation displacement terminals has increased dramatically over the last decade because of considerations of cost and ease of interconnection. Connectors of this type normally consist of a flat metallic stamping having a plurality of resiliently expandable open-ended slots on one end thereof, the opposite end being imbedded in the block for connection thereto by wire wrap or other operation which may be made at the time of manufacture of the block. The slots are so configured that upon insertion of an insulated conductor, the insulation is cut and removed from the conductor only in the area of contact with the terminal, thus avoiding the necessity of a separate wire stripping operation. It is known in the art to provide a tool for this purpose, including means to trim the exposed stub to a predetermined length, so that it will not interfere with other adjacently located conductors. The tool usually provides means on one end thereof for engaging a seated conductor to disconnect it from a terminal by pulling upon the body of the conductor itself.
In recent years, improved connector blocks have been manufactured which comprise a plurality of laminar type elements in juxtaposed relation, each lamina mounting a plurality of insulation displacement terminals projecting laterally therefrom. Corresponding protector modules have been produced, the effective thickness of which corresponds to that of an individual lamina, which protector modules are directly engaged upon the insulation displacement terminals, so that individual subscriber circuit protection is afforded without the necessity of providing a separate protector block. The protector blocks in mounted condition, are juxtaposed with respect to other modules, so that removal of an individual module to gain access to the terminals disposed therebeneath cannot be readily accomplished without the use of a tool.